Birthstone of the Nation

Kenmore, Fredericksburg

This elegant Georgian mansion was home to Betty Lewis, George Washington’s sister and the wife of wealthy plantation owner Colonel Fielding Lewis. The red brick house was built between a pair of detached wings around 1775. The portico, facing the Rappahannock River, was made with Aquia Stone. The classic simplicity of the exterior is in contrast with the ornate plaster ceilings and chimney pieces of the interior. Lewis aided his brother-in-law and the American cause by investing much of his personal fortune in arms and ammunition for the Revolutionary War. Never repaid, his estate had to be sold.